Last time we took a look at what Paul taught us about being Separated. This time I want to look at that subject a little bit more and see what being Separated has to do with us being a “Winner.”
Remember last time, we looked at how God has separated His children for His service, and how all of our life experiences have been designed by God to prepare us to walk out the life He has set before us. And in that process, all those life events prepare us to minister the Gospel to those whom He has called and chosen. We are the tangible expression of His love when we use those events to connect with those individuals.
In reading in Proverbs the other morning, the Holy Spirit showed me how Paul used his life’s experiences to focus his motivation for the lost. By way of some background let’s look at two different scriptures that are teaching us about the same thing; one from the Old Testament and one from the New. First from Solomon:
Prov 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
In the Hebrew, the word “winneth” is laqach. It means to fetch, enfold, receive, seize, or takeaway. Solomon said that “Wisdom” seeks to reclaim the lost, and remember a few weeks ago we discussed the fact that Jesus is wisdom. The one who is wise draws souls to himself, those that have been called and chosen by the Lord and, just like the tree of life, the righteous bring forth fruit. And they bring it forth by using what they have been taught in life by the Holy Spirit. Their life (their testimony/knowledge) is like the fruit on the tree that attracts the lost to the righteousness of Christ.
Now let’s look at how Paul took this to heart and made it central to his ministry of spreading the Gospel.
1 Cor 9:19-23 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
The key to the message in these verses is verse 19. Paul makes it clear the he is free from all the influences of man, but at the same time he has committed himself to be their servant. And the reason is so that he can gain the more. In the Greek, the word “gain” (win in the NKJV and NIV) is kerao, and it means to fill or pour out. Paul’s desire, the desire of his heart (given to him by God), was to pour himself out to others so that he might “gain (win) the more;” make more converts to Christianity. And in order to do that he needed to meet them where they were. Remember our “rowing around the island” in our last update? He made it a point to wisely use what he had learned in his life to identify with those individuals: He became a Jew to those under the law; became like those who were without the law; became like the weak. His point being that he became a servant to all that he might save some. That is, he conformed to their rites and customs as far as he could do it because he did not want to offend them. This gave him access to them, opened them up to his message so that he would have a means of converting them to the Christian faith.
Take the example of his becoming like a Jew under the law. Though he knew that the yoke of the ceremonial law had been taken off by Christ, yet in many instances he submitted to it so that he could remove their Jewish prejudices, opening up the opportunity to share the Gospel and win them over to Christ. But note that while he accommodated himself to others, he never compromised his faith in Christ. It is one thing to meet someone where they are and understand where they are coming from, it’s something altogether different to become like them. Paul honored the Jewish rites and ceremonies where he lawfully might, but he compromise his righteousness.
You never win a drunk to Christ by becoming a drunk… you win a drunk to Christ by sharing the fact that Jesus delivered you from being a drunk, sharing how He saved you and changed your life.
John Phillips, in his commentary on 1 Corinthians, pointed out four key elements of Paul’s ministry that these verses reveal:
- Paul was indifferent to social status… he knew what it meant to be a tent maker.
- Paul was indifferent to spiritual status… he knew what it meant to be a Jew.
- Paul was indifferent to secular status… he reached out to the lawless as well as the lawful.
- Paul was indifferent to personal status… he reached out to the weak as well as the strong.
What was important to Paul was that he wanted to win people to the Lord… I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And he wanted to win praise from the Lord… And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. He wanted them to partake of their reward and he wanted to partake in it along with them. And for Paul, all the reward he ever wanted was the praise of the Lord.
Is that what you want? For me, my greatest reward is to have Jesus look me in the eye and say those wonderful words… Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matt 25:23). And I know that He has prepared me for every opportunity that He sets in my path. If I follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, I will have the life experience and knowledge of the Word of God necessary to “be what I need to be” at that moment in time.
So, when the Holy Spirit sends you to one of those “islands,” know that when you row around it looking for a place to land that He will have fully equipped you to meet that person right where they are. You will have the testimony to wisely use in sharing the Gospel… that I might by all means save some. The Holy Spirit will allow you to share in the joy of being God’s servant (His messenger), seeing the Gospel save a soul that has been chosen by the Lord. He will allow you the joy of being a “winner” of souls.
Be all things to all people? No! Be who you are in Christ, and He will use you to be who He needs you to be when you put your foot on the beach of that chosen island. That’s where you will find the true “Winners Circle.”